Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains mostly popular in the United States, though his approval ratings have plunged from the sky-high levels he enjoyed as recently as two years ago.

Here on the US side of the Atlantic, it increasingly appears that skepticism regarding Zelensky largely flows from growing dismay and doubts about his powerful chief-of-staff, Andriy Yermak. Though Yermak is not yet widely known in the United States, for those who are well aware of his power and his tactics, the reputational risks rise – for Zelensky himself, and for Ukraine overall.

Politico recently published a scathing critical piece on Yermak, titled "Washington Has Had It with Andriy Yermak." The subtitle to the article was just as brutal, assailing this very controversial Ukrainian politician: "the top aide to Ukraine’s president may be setting back Kyiv’s agenda with U.S. officials."

Such a declaration by Politico is almost difficult to believe, for those of us involved at the highest levels of media and politics in the United States.

Why?

Well, because Politico as a platform has been positively adoring in its overall coverage of Zelensky. In fact, the German-owned Politico is nearly always a super dependable public relations arm of the American ruling class – meaning it backs corporate interests, as well as the supposedly wise foreign policy establishment of Washington D.C.

As such, Politico has steadfastly promoted ever-increasing U.S. involvement in the war in Ukraine. For voters in the States who subscribe to the America First agenda of President Trump and Vice-President Vance, it is astonishing that even a biased news site like Politico would suddenly turn so openly on a Yermak, who is regarded in the U.S. as the effective "co-president" to Zelensky.

The most problematic issue regarding Yermak involves ongoing, credible assertions of a systemic corruption that seem to always orbit this powerbroker of Kyiv. For example, when Ukrainian authorities investigated Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov for corruption, they pursued credible evidence that he "caused the state losses of more than UAH 1 billion through a scheme to undervalue land." In fact, the NABU even recommended that Chernyshov be removed from his key government position and required to post a large bail payment during the investigation. But, Yermak refused to fire this embattled official, who continues to operate under a shadow of suspicion.

For Americans, these kinds of headlines are infuriating. Even though the United States boasts the wealthiest and largest economy in the world, government debt in the States balloons to true crisis levels.

Right now, most working-class citizens of America regularly report great difficulty paying their personal bills. As such, the idea of sending giant sums of money and equipment across an ocean to Ukraine is not an easy sell with regular Americans, especially if the recipients of this aid are considered corrupt.

In addition to constant corruption allegations, Yermak was the deciding factor in firing the heroic general who led the defense of Ukraine from 2022-2024, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Yermak fired a man who was so widely admired, and so broadly regarded as corruption free, that General Zaluzhnyi enjoyed an almost impossible 92% approval rating in a large survey of Ukrainian citizens. Consequently, as suspicions swirl around Yermak, perhaps it is no surprise that Zaluzhnyi leads Zelensky handily in a potential presidential race, according to polling from earlier this year.

So, how can America trust a government that fires Zaluzhnyi but not Chernyshov?

Turning back to the U.S., American views on Zelensky have become mostly along domestic American partisan lines. The Democrats favor nearly endless assistance to Zelensky while Republican voters embrace more cautious policies, and demand a Washington focus on domestic U.S. concerns, generally.

But when it comes to Yermak, the partisans actually align in dismissing him as a "bipartisan irritator" who almost magically unites normally argumentative Americans. In a strange sense, I guess we Americans should thank Andriy for providing needed moments of unity! We find a rare moment of two-party agreement: our deep distrust and dislike for this corrupt character, Yermak.

But any laughs aside, the deadly serious business of defending Ukraine necessitates an approach that earns the trust of all Americans, across party lines.  

That urgency only elevates as attacks from both Russia and Ukraine intensify in recent weeks. Accordingly, more than ever, the good citizens of Ukraine deserve leaders who can secure the full commitment of the United States to defend Ukraine through arms and financial support, while simultaneously aggressively pursuing a workable peace with both Moscow and Kyiv.

From an American perspective, it seems clear that the U.S. can only remain the most important and dependable ally of Ukraine if the government in Kyiv is considered trustworthy, transparent, and believable. The sacrifices of the Ukrainian people have inspired the world, and everyday Ukrainians take daily risks that are truly heroic, in defense of their nation.

The contributions of America also stand out, especially in the financial and intelligence-sharing realms. Brave Ukrainians, armed with American weapons and propelled by the unmatched intelligence and technology capabilities of the U.S., have successfully fought back against a far larger army and nation. For that partnership to persist, systemic corruption simply cannot continue, and untrustworthy backroom manipulators like Andriy Yermak should not reach the summits of power in Ukraine.  

Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers and senior political advisor to Catholic Vote.

He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, plus a former commentator for Fox News and CNN.